January 2010 Government’s ambitious building plans In 2010, the tables have turned. In a challenged economy, government looks more attractive to architects than the private sector. With the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, government was tapped by the current administration to help stimulate the nation, with building and rebuilding as cornerstones of economic recovery. Architects took note. Photo © André Souroujon The recent infusion of capital may obscure the fact that federal agencies, and the General Services Administration (GSA) in particular, have been at the forefront of developing and promulgating contemporary design and building practices,

Dear friends: Although recent months have brought strong economic challenges, today we’re celebrating. Architectural Record has been publishing continuously for 120 years, and we’re toasting the next 120. In the face of tough economic times, strong media brands are evolving—just like the top architecture firms and product manufacturers—so we have reason to look forward with enthusiasm and confidence. We’re here to stay—while remaining true to our core principles. Photography ' Steffen Thalemann (left), Andrè Souroujon (right) Laura Viscusi, vice president, Integrated Media, McGraw-Hill Construction / Publisher, Architectural Record (left); Robert Ivy, FAIA, Vice President, Editorial Director, McGraw-Hill Construction / Editor-In-Chief,

November 2009 Whenever two or three architects gather — over the coffeepot, at a cocktail party, in the elevator —a single topic emerges: When will the recession end? Faced with frequent layoffs and calls from their bankers, and with a dynamic marketplace that seems to be constantly shrinking, principals have been relying on help wherever they might find it, whether through anecdotes, colleagues, advice from professional practice consultants, or Ouija boards. Then on Friday, October 16, 2009, the construction economists spoke. Photo © André Souroujon Interest in where the markets will trend always draws a crowd. We all want to

October 2009 The gaggle of intelligent-looking folk dressed in black under the marquee on Governors Island in mid-September could have come from any urban center — Manhattan’s SoHo, perhaps, except that they primarily spoke Dutch. They gathered to celebrate their ancestors’ prodigious contributions to contemporary design and commerce near the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s momentous arrival in New York harbor (an event that occurred in September 1609). Their presence on the silent, tree-shrouded parkland, with its magnificent, unfamiliar views of the harbor islands, offered an ironic commentary on New York’s origins and a living, chattering mnemonic on what might

September 2009 Say the word, “planning,” and watch someone’s face morph: The term can conjure up a multitude of responses. Regardless of your own prejudices, some municipalities are discovering that good design can help sell a city—whether old and established or new as fresh paint. Photo © André Souroujon Two Asian cities illustrate the principle and constitute textbook cases of their respective kinds. First, the newest. Songdo City, Korea, an eventual $35 billion, tower-filled new city is rising where nothing but seawater once existed. The planners’ precepts defied traditional expectations by standing certain ironclad real estate notions on their heads,

August 2009 For generations of American architects (generations, not years), Julius Shulman idealized the built world. Born in 1910, and active until recently, Shulman’s eye framed essential architectural imagery and recorded it for the world. His passing on July 15 marks a shift in how we appreciate architecture today and suggests we pause to reflect on architectural photography. Photo © André Souroujon First, Julius. This irrepressible personality, lacking formal training in either architecture or photography, but with an upwelling enthusiasm for good architecture, found his calling when he saw Richard Neutra’s California houses in 1936. Shulman subsequently mastered the craft

July 2009 What has happened to drawing? This recently posted rhetorical question on the Internet produced a torrent of responses, an ironic commentary from our digital age. Yes, we primarily draw electronically now. Yes, our several generations of active architects employ different media to think, to design, and to represent their ideas. Yes, our students and future architects still use hand drawing, but frequently as one tool in a kit that includes physical modeling and three-dimensional virtual manipulation. Yes, the architect’s world has changed. There should be no tears, only a glint at reality. Photo © André Souroujon And yet,

June 2009 The world unloads so much information on us today that communicating with just 140 characters – no more, no less – feels like massive relief. -0 Photo © André Souroujon Twitter comes with its own counter, so that every one of your postings keeps score of the total characters that remain. It’s hard to miss. -0 You can follow insipid things like when a famous celebrity brushed her teeth, or you can post when you brush your own. Lead or Follow? Pick. -0 Architecture fans register their own reactions to buildings and places, up to the minute, close

May 2009 One year ago, Architectural Record’s editorial addressed the issue of diversity in a column entitled, “Room for All Our Talents.” In the intervening months, despite the election of a new president of the United States and the economic free fall in our construction and design markets, little has changed to balance the national employee profile of the architectural office. African-Americans in particular still form only from 1.5 to 1.7 percent of the total number of registered architects. Photo © André Souroujon In turning again to the topic of diversity in architecture, this month’s editorial will not preach, but

April 2009 The student firmly raised his hand at the luncheon, catching my attention over the turkey sandwiches and cold drinks. We were there to talk, after all. Most of the questions thus far had been softball—related to publishing or favorite architects and their work, or to travel, but not to pushing the boundaries. He appeared eager and young. Then he spoke: “Can you tell me,” he asked, “why media like Architectural Record have continued to promote icons, when we are interested in a different kind of architecture today?” All eyes opened up around the long table, and heads seemed